(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Seeing the Elephant [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-02-01

Have you seen the elephant?

It’s an old phrase, most popular in the 19th century. You might say, “I’m going to see the elephant.” Others might say it about you.

So, where’s this elephant?

Elephants first visited the United States around the year 1800. They were put on display by cagey impresarios who publicized them in phrases of great wonder and drama. People flocked from far and wide to see the fearsome creatures. And after, proclaim proudly that “I’ve seen the elephant.

“Seeing the elephant” became a 19th century catch-phase: to chase some formidable but exciting life experience. The “experience” could be migrating out west for a new life or to pan for gold; becoming a soldier; pursuing any new opportunity at home or elsewhere; or even going to a bordello.

Thing is, those things don’t always work out as you hope they will. And “I’ve seen the elephant” also came to mean, “It was pretty rough, but I lived.” Said ‘49ers who came back from the gold fields with little to show. Or pioneers whose trip west was filled with hardship or death. Or a hopeful trader who’d lost it all. Or the soldier who’d seen too much of war. “I’ve seen the elephant,” they’d say afterwards with some regret.

So “the elephant” came to be more about consequences than reward. “Seeing the elephant,” as time went on, could be a dark think.

You know how it is: you support the Democrats, donate, spread the word, have confidence that Biden can win again, and suddenly Donald Trump is back in the White House. That’s seeing the elephant. Big time. .

And you’re still seeing it. Trump is an elephant that wants to be seen and won’t go away.

But even worse off are the people who voted for Trump. He appealed to their prejudices or ultraconservative values. Or they struggled daily to keep their heads above water financially. And, adrift in a sea of bad information, all they knew was that Trump said he would “help them.”

He will not. And they will see the elephant, and for their hopes may pay a terrible price. See you in the next few days while the tariffs kick in. And beyond that, co-president Musk and more madness. We’re all going to learn the hard way — even if we already know the lesson.

But I am allowed to hope that, this time, the lesson will be applied.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/1/2300700/-Seeing-the-Elephant?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/